The amber crystals
by chquine-harvinellisse
Summary: The story behind the amber crystals in the Resource center and the reason why Isolde refers to them as memorable. Isolde remembers the evening when she and Theofratus confided with one another.


**Hey there!**

**Just a little something before the year ends…**

**This is my first Mana Khemia fic… =D**

**DISCLAIMER!**

**I do not own Mana Khemia, but I have finished it though… =D**

**On with the story!**

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><p>Isolde stood in front to the glittering crystals that hung from the ceiling. They glowed with bright amber light.<p>

She looked up at the crystals and a nostalgic feeling washed over her. Why? Even she doesn't know why.

She sighed heavily. The crystals reminded her too much of her days as an alchemist. The crystals reminded her of the fireworks that she often saw when she was younger.

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><p>Isolde ran up the stairs. She was feeling giddy and excited. Her turquoise hair flew behind her. She swiftly and expertly made her way through the halls.<p>

She dodged the students and teachers that littered the hallway. Her red Al-Revis uniform signified her last year as an alchemist-in-training.

She ran up some more stairs and she finally reached the last stairs to the rooftop where she was headed.

She was panting and by she reached the last step she was out of breath. She leaned her arm against the wall and breathed heavily.

"I see your stamina hasn't improved yet…" said an arrogant voice.

Isolde looked up and saw a pair of familiar crimson eyes. Those eyes bizarre in every way imaginable, but she liked them.

Isolde chuckled and said "It's not my fault for not being able to withstand running around the academy…"

The boy with red eyes and chestnut brown hair stretched out his hands towards her. He helped her up the last step and she made it to the roof.

The boy with crimson eyes was the same age as Isolde. They often met up there, though the roof was off-limits to students, these two rebels met in absolute secrecy.

"So Theofratus, how did you fare in the exams?" Isolde asked the crimson eyed boy beside her.

"As the usual…" Theofratus replied "I aced it." He turned to Isolde and winked.

Isolde playfully hit his head with her knuckle and said "Show off…"

Theofratus chuckled as he fixed his hair "What about you?"

"I did equally well as you did…" Isolde said smugly as she stuck out her tongue at him.

Theofratus laughed at her childish gesture "You haven't changed a bit Isolde…"

"What do you think of yourself?" Isolde joked.

Theofratus laughed as well. He looked towards the setting sun and exhaled "It's beautiful…"

Isolde looked at it too and nodded "Yeah… It is…"

"Soon we won't be able to see the sunset from a high point…" Theofratus said somewhat sadly "We'll be out of this continent soon… We'll be graduating soon…" he turned to Isolde who sat beside him and asked "What do you plan to do after this?"

Isolde turned to him and shrugged "I haven't really thought about it yet…"

"I heard Zeppel is going to stay here and teach." Theofratus smiled playfully.

Isolde scoffed "That's because he loves the academy so much… And besides his family supports him so much…"

For a moment there was silence. Theofratus was the one who spoke up "Aren't you going back home?"

"Home?" Isolde echoed with ironic amusement "We both know that there's no such thing as home for me…"

"I'm sure your parents would love to have you back…" Theofratus tried to comfort her.

Isolde felt tears forming on her eyelids. She blinked them away and asked "What about you?"

"I'm going back to the world below and help as many people as I can with my alchemic abilities." Theofratus replied

"Heroic as ever, eh?" Isolde teased while smiling "I guess I'll stay here like Zeppel then…" she hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face to her knees "But… we'll be far from each other then…"

"Then come with me…" Theofratus suggested "We can help people together…"

"You know I can't do that…" Isolde said "Every single person on the world below thinks that I'm a carrier of misfortune. That's why I was sent here, remember?"

"But you can change their views about you if you do your best to help them…" Theofratus said.

Isolde shook her head while she buried her forehead onto her knees "I'm too scared… I'm too scared to face the people who shunned me and treated me like trash…"

Theofratus kept silent. Isolde was grateful that he wasn't pushing the subject any further.

She felt her hair being rustled. She raised her head and met saw Theofratus ruffling her hair, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at the sunset.

Isolde studied him for a moment. His crimson eyes were fixed on the sun, as it set from the western horizon.

Theofratus felt her gaze on him and he turned to her. He smiled and said "Okay… I won't force you to come with me back down, but if you do become a teacher, visit me every now and then okay?"

Isolde nodded.

Theofratus looked at the setting sun and said "Ah… Another day has passed…"

Isolde looked at the setting sun. The colors of pink, scarlet and indigo played around the evening sky.

She shifted her gaze from the western horizon to the man beside her. He always wanted to talk her into going back to their home. He always said about wanting to be with her. But she never knew the reason why he was so persuasive and pushy sometimes.

The sun was still falling from the sky. Theofratus turned to Isolde and said "Well, we better head back before we get into trouble…"

Theofratus made a move to leave, but Isolde grabbed his arm. Theofratus sat back down as he gave Isolde a sideway glance quizzically.

Isolde's eyes met with Theofratus'. Neither of them uttered a word.

"Why?" Isolde muttered

Theofratus tilted his head.

Isolde continued "Why do you always say that you want to be with me? Why are you always telling me to go back with you?"

At first, the only answer Isolde got was silence. She realized how fixed her gaze was on Theofratus, so she looked away in embarrassment.

The sun was slowly setting as it brought out the colors of the night sky.

Isolde let go of Theofratus' arm and said "Sorry… I… shouldn't have done that…"

But before Isolde could fully let go of Theofratus' arm, Theofratus wrapped his arms around Isolde tightly and brought her to a hug.

Isolde was flabbergasted. The sun was gone and the radiant yellow light of the sun was gone. The crescent moon took the place of the sun and the sky was completely indigo in color.

The cold evening breeze enveloped the entire floating continent, but Isolde couldn't feel it. Theofratus' warmth and proximity flooded over the cold evening breeze.

"The answer is quite simple Isolde Schelling…" Theofratus whispered through her hair "The answer is because I find myself helplessly attracted to you from the moment we ran into trouble and until now… That is needless to say that I have fallen in love with you…"

He said those words in a very sophisticated manner just like the genius he really is. Isolde could hardly believe what she was hearing. He, Theofratus Aurelius the genius was _confessing_ to her, that he loves her.

Theofratus let Isolde go who was still in a state of shock. Isolde collected herself and gazed at Theofratus again.

She managed a teasing smile as she raised an eyebrow and said "Did you really have to put it in such a complicated manner?"

Theofratus smiled sheepishly "I had no other way that you would understand…"

"What do you think I am?" Isolde pouted "I'm a human being too you know…"

"I didn't mean to put it _that _way…" Theofratus raised his hands in front of him defensively.

"Honestly, do you _really_ think that I wouldn't understand something as simple as the three words: 'I love you'?" Isolde exploded.

Theofratus smiled sheepishly and nervously. He knew that soon Isolde would summon her Mana and brutally beat him.

"And I was so happy to know that you felt the same way…" Isolde lashed out. Her eyes widened, she blushed and looked away.

Theofratus was baffled. He never expected that from Isolde.

Isolde blushed fiercely. She jerked her head to the side in a snobbish way. She flung her hair as she stood up and said "I'm leaving…"

But before she could take another step, Theofratus pulled her by the arm. He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her close to him. He dipped her down; his other hand supported her nape. He leaned towards her and gently and softly kissed her lips.

Isolde's eyes were wide open in surprise. Fireworks exploded inside her head.

Theofratus let her go and this time, real fireworks lit the indigo night sky.

His arm was still wrapped around Isolde's waist. His crimson eyes gazed into her gray ones.

Theofratus smirked cockily "Was that a better way of expressing what I felt?"

Isolde looked away "You're so arrogant…"

The fireworks continued to light up the night sky. The fireworks looked like crystals of amber in the sky.

Theofratus brushed a stray hand of hair from Isolde's cheek and said "Do you believe me now?"

Isolde smiled at him and said "I always did since we got into trouble, Theofratus…"

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><p>Isolde found herself smiling at the memory of it.<p>

She wasn't the sentimental type of person, but things were different when it came to Theofratus Aurelius.

As she looked up at the amber crystals that hung from the ceiling she let herself smile in a carefree manner.

"How I wish you were still here Theofratus…" she muttered as she walked away from the amber crystals and to the transporter circle that led to the upper floors of the Resource Center.

Before completely leaving, Isolde took a look at the crystals one last time.

She walked off and a glimmer of tears fell from her eyes.

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><p><strong>Done!<strong>

**Theofratus' appearance was never described in the game so I decided to make one myself… =D**

**Oh and I'm planning to make a fic solely about Theofratus' and Isolde's love story…**

**So could you be so kind as to click the REVIEW button and suggest a name for Isolde's Mana, since it doesn't have a name too…**

**Also, in accordance to the request written above, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and convey your deepest thoughts regarding the story as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**Happy New Year everyone! =D**

**chquine-harvinellisse**


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